Trouser legging press



May 19, 1964 L. c. KIENZLE 3,133,365

TROUSER LEGGING PRESS Filed Jan. 9, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. LESTER C. KIENZLE BYZ QTTORNEY May 19, 1964 Filed Jan. 9, 1959 L. C. KIENZLE TROUSER LEGGING PRESS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. Lesrsa C. KIENZLE BDWEM ATTMIEV United States Patent 3,133,366 TRQUSER LEGGING PRESS Lester C. Kienzle, Fayetteville, N.Y., assignor, by mesne assignments, to Ametek, linen, New York, N.Y., a corporation of Delaware Filed Jan. 9, 195%, Ser. N 785,975 Claims. (til. 3817) This invention relates to pressing machinery, and more particularly to a garment buck and a pressing head for a pressing machine.

Heretofore, pressing machines have been presented wherein the garment buck and the pressing head were of a conventional design. Certain disadvantages have been realiz d in that, in pressing certain types of garments, several lays of the garment on the buck are required to impart a quality finish to the garment. Even after performing several pressing operations, portions of the garment are left unpressed due to the nonconformity of the buck with the shape of the garment.

It is therefore a main object of this invention to provide a buck and a pressing head for a garment press which reduces the number of lays required for certain types of pressing.

It is a further main object of this invention to provide a buck and a pressing head for a garment press which permits the operator to completely press a garment so as to avoid missing portions of the garment during the pressing operation.

Another object of the invention is to provide a buck and a pressing head for a garment press which reduces operator time spent in pressing operations, and which reduces operator fatigue, thus increasing production.

In accordance with the present invention, there is provided a garment press having a buck and a pressing head, wherein the buck is provided with one or more indents or concave portions or recesses formed in an end for conforming to the shape of a garment being pressed thereon; and wherein the pressing head conforms in shape to the garment buck.

Other objects and advantages will appear from the following detailed specification and the accompanying drawings, in which:-

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a pressing machine having a buck and pressing head in accordance with the present invention.

FIGURE 2 is a plan view of a buck according to this invention.

FIGURE 3 is a cross section of the buck taken along the line 3*? in FIGURE 2.

FIGURE 4 is a cross section of the buck taken along the line 4-4- in FIGURE 2.

FIGURE 5 is a plan view of the buck, feature of the invention.

FIGURE 6 is a plan view of the buck, feature of the invention.

FIGURE 7 is a plan View of the buck, feature of the invention.

FIGURE 8 is a plan view of the buck, feature of the invention.

With reference to FIGURE 1, there is shown a garment press it) having a frame or the like 11 supported on the base 18. A support 13 is located above the table 12 and supports a garment buck 14. The table 12 is provided for supporting those portions of a garment (not shown) which are not being supported on the buck 14. A pressing head 15 is mounted on an operating member 16, which in turn is pivotally connected-to the frame Ill, as at a pivot 17. Means (not shown) are employed for moving the pressing head 15 from the open position illustrated to a position closely overlying the buck 14 for illustrating a illustrating a illustrating a illustrating a pressing a garment. The frame, table, and operating means are all well known to those skilled in the art, and form no part of this invention. Foot pedal controls 19 and 2d are provided for the control of steam and vacuum to the buck 14. The control buttons 23 or 24 are conventionally employed for bringing the pressing head 15 downwardly onto the buck 14-, under light pressure. Control lever 22 may be employed for controlling the steam for conditioning the garment on the buck 14-, and the lever 21 for controlling the high pressure to the pressing head 15.

With reference to FIGURES 1 and 2, the buck 14 is illustrated as having a surface St? for supporting a garment to be pressed. The buck 14 has one end 35 which may be provided with rounded corners 31. The opposite end 32, 33, 34 may be relatively wider with respect to the end 35. A central portion 34 of the opposite end, or wider end, is illustrated as being generally convex in form. The end portions 32 and 33, or the corner portions between the central convex portion and the sides of the buck 14, are generally concave in form with respect to the convex central portion 34.

FIGURES 3 and 4 illustrate the buck 14 in cross section. The chambers 37 and 38 may conventionally be employed for supplying steam and/ or air or vacuum to the buck 14 for heating and drying of a garment being pressed. A cover 35 may be provided, as is shown diagrammatically, thus providing the pressing surface 3il on the buck 14-. The cover 36 may be of a padded type, as is currently the practice. When the cover 36 is of a padded type, the material used is formed in such a way that there is no set pattern to the weave or the like by which the material is formed. In this manner, fine fabric garments do not have a pattern imparted to the pressed finish of the garment. Similarly, the surface 30A of the pressing head 15 is provided with a fine mesh screen for preventing a shine to the garment and for steam distribution.

The pressing head 15, FIGURE 1, isformed so as to conform substantially to the shape or form of the buck 14. Thus, the pressing head 15 has a surface 30A, end 35A which is rounded at the corners 31A as is the buck l4; and all edges of the head 15 overlay the padding on the buck 14 to prevent any impression of the head on the garment, as shown by the dot-dash lines in FIGURE 3. Also, a substantially convex portion 34A and the concave corner portions 32A and 33A are provided at the opposite end of the head 15, which end is also relatively wider than the end 35A.

Those skilled in the art are particularly aware of the problems confronting them with the conventional press. Conventionally, a press is provided with a buck and head having a substantially rounded, or convex, head. Thus, when it is desired to press a garment, and in particular a trouser leg, having a curved portion, or curved seam, a large number of lays of the garment on the buck are required to effect the complete pressing of that particular portion of the garment. With trousers or pants, it is well known that a minimum number of three lays are required per leg during the legging operation. That is to say, the operator is required to lay the leg so as to press, for instance, the front crease, the central portion, and then the back crease. The operator may then proceed with the other leg. Then, using a separate press, the topping operation may be performed on the upper, or body, portion of the garment in a minimum number of six lays. Further, it has not been possible to completely press the leg up to the crotch seam of the garment due to the lack of proper shape and size of the pressing elements.

In FIGURES 5 to 8, a particular advantage of the present invention is illustrated. A pair of trousers 40 are illustrated as being representative of a garment which may be more efiiciently pressed with a reduction in the number of lays and a higher degree of quality than has been heretofore obtained. A first leg, FIGURES and 6, has a front crease 41, midseam 42, and a back crease 43. The second leg, FIGURES 7 and 8, has a front crease 45', midseam 46, and back crease 4-7. The crotch seam is shown as at 44, and it is seen that the crotch seam 44 is rounded in form.

As shown in FIGURE 5, the first leg is laid on the buck 14 so that the crotch seam 44 is in place in the concave corner portion 32 of the end 34 of the buck. The entire front crease 4i, midseam 42, the cuff and most of the leg are then adapted to be pressed when the pressing head (not shown) is brought down onto the surface 39 of the buck 14. It is pointed out that the leg of the trousers 49 is pressed entirely up to the crotch seam 4-4.

Following the above pressing operation, or lay, the leg is laid on the buck 14 as in FIGURE 6. The midseam 42 is on the buck, as is a major portion of the cuff, as well as the entire back crease 43 of the leg. The concave corner portion 33 of the buck 1 E fits closely up to the crotch seam 44; and the remaining portion of the first leg is pressed. THIS, in a maximum number of two lays, half of the legging operation is completed.

The second leg is laid on the buck as in FTGURE 7, with the first leg pulled to the side. The front crease 45 is entirely on the buck, as is the midseam 46, the cuff, and a major portion of the leg. The corner portion 33 of the buck fits closely up to the crotch seam 4dof the trousers, and the pressing operation is performed.

The second lay of the second leg is then made as shown in FIGURE 8, so that the entire back crease 47 of the leg and the entire midseam 46 are in position on the buck. The corner portion 32 of the buck 14 fits closely up to the crotch seam 44 of the leg, and the pressing operation is performed.

The topping operation of the press may be carried out on the opposite end of the buck 14. The entire topping operation may be performed in a maximum number of four lays on the end 35 of the press. Heretofore, the topping operation required a minimum of six lays on a separate machine.

The invention, therefore, contemplates a pressing machine having a garment buck and a pressing head. The buck is formed with an indented portion or concave portion in one end for conforming to the shape of a garment to be pressed thereon. The pressing head is shaped to conform with the shape of the garment buck substantially for conforming to the shape of a garment to be pressed therewith. One or more such indents or concave portions may be provided with or without the corresponding convex portion. However, it may be assumed that one or more convex portions will usually be formed corresponding to any concave portion formed in the buck and head.

A specific embodiment of the present invention having been described and illustrated, it is to be understood that the invention is not to be limited to the embodiment disclosed, but is to be construed as fairly falls within the true spirit and scope of the appended claims.

It is claimed:

1. A garment buck and a pressing head for a garment press; said buck being adapted to receive a trouser leg to be pressed, one end of said garment buck having rounded corners, the corners of the end of said buck opposite the first said end being indented to conform to the crotch seam of a trouser leg, and a convex central portion of the second said end of said buck being formed between said indented corners; one end of said pressing head being formed with indented corners and a convex central portion corresponding to the second said end of said garment buck for conforming to the crotch seam of a trouser leg to be pressed, thereby providing means by which said trouser leg may be pressed by laying said leg on said buck a maximum of two times.

2. A garment press comprising a frame, a buck mounted on the frame, a pressing head carried by the frame for movement toward and away from said buck; one end of said buck having rounded corners, a concave recess being formed in each corner of the end opposite said one end, each said recess being shaped to conform to a portion of the crotch of a trouser leg, whereby said buck is adapted to receive the entire leg of a pair of trousers in two lays.

3. A garment press according to claim 2 wherein said pressing head has an end confronting the end of said buck opposite said one end, the confronting end of said pressing head being formed with a concave recess in each corner thereof, each said recess in said pressing head being shaped to conform to a portion of the crotch of said trouser leg.

4. A garment press comprising a frame, a buck mounted on the frame, a pressing head carried by the frame for movement toward and away from said buck; one end of said buck having rounded corners, the end opposite said one end being wider than said one end, a concave recess being formed in each corner of the second said end, each said recess being shaped to conform to a portion of the crotch of a trouser leg, whereby said buck is adapted to receive the cuff, midseam, crotch seam and an entire crease of a trouser leg in one lay.

5. A garment buck and a pressing head for a garment press; said buck having opposite ends and being adapted to receive a trouser leg to be pressed having a crotch seam, one end of said buck having rounded corners and being narrower than the other end thereof, said other end of said buck having corners which are indented to conform to said crotch seam of said trouser leg, and said other end of said buck having a convex central portion formed between said indented corners; said head having opposite ends and being adapted to the move into pressing relation to said buck, the end of said head confronting said other end of said buck being formed with indented corners and a convex central portion corresponding to said other end of said buck for conforming to said crotch seam of said trouser leg when moved into pressing relation to said buck thereby providing means by which said trouser leg may be pressed by laying said trouser leg on said buck a maximum of two times.

7 References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,173,508 Heartwell Feb. 20, 1916 1,177,572 Palmer Mar. 28, 1916 1,840,965 Long Jan. 12, 1932 

1. A GARMENT BUCK AND A PRESSING HEAD FOR A GARMENT PRESS; SAID BUCK BEING ADAPTED TO RECEIVE A TROUSER LEG TO BE PRESSED, ONE END OF SAID GARMENT BUCK HAVING ROUNDED CORNERS, THE CORNERS OF THE END OF SAID BUCK OPPOSITE THE FIRST SAID END BEING INDENTED TO CONFORM TO THE CROTCH SEAM OF A TROUSER LEG, AND A CONVEX CENTRAL PORTION OF THE SECOND SAID END OF SAID BUCK BEING FORMED BETWEEN SAID INDENTED CORNERS; ONE END OF SAID PRESSING HEAD BEING FORMED WITH INDENTED CORNERS AND A CONVEX CENTRAL PORTION CORRESPONDING TO THE SECOND SAID END OF SAID GARMENT BUCK FOR CONFORMING TO THE CROTCH SEAM OF A TROUSER LEG TO BE PRESSED, THEREBY PROVIDING MEANS BY WHICH SAID TROUSER LEG MAY BE PRESSED BY LAYING SAID LEG ON SAID BUCK A MAXIMUM OF TWO TIMES. 